. >> reporter: lauren grew up in dallas, texas. her parents divorced when she was young, but would later remarry after seven years apart. their experience inspired their work today as marriage counselors. their greatest joy, twin daughters, brittney and lauren. lauren's father, jeff, says lauren always sparkled. >> there's a spirit about her that is just -- it's contagious. that she's just so full of life. >> reporter: but in one awful moment last december, everything changed for lauren and her family. it's the subject they write about in a book, "still lolo" about their family's journey. they took us back to the night the accident happened, a night that was supposed to have been so much fun for lauren and her mother, cheryl. >> we had gone to church, lauren and i, and just went to some friends for dinner afterwards, like we always do. they live on an airport, so we ate dinner and they decided they were going to do some, you know, recreational flying, go look at christmas lights and everything. >> reporter: it's common in this neig